Video gives local firm the edge

By Courtney Meznarich

Experts are calling 2015 the year of video. Online video is nothing new, but the trend toward video on social media has really taken hold. Nowhere is this more visible than Facebook: the social media giant has changed its algorithm to favor video, especially when that video is hosted on Facebook. Need proof? Take a look at your business page’s organic reach. For most of the accounts I manage, organic reach on photos – once favored over other types of posts- is abysmal. Organic reach on Facebook-hosted video? Well, see the results for yourself in the case of Glenn Burdette.

Glenn Burdette is a certified public accounting firm based in San Luis Obispo, with offices in Santa Maria and Paso Robles. The firm is not particularly active on social media and certainly doesn’t advertise there. But in 2015, Glenn Burdette is celebrating 50 years in business and leadership there wanted to make a splash. The goal: get in front of a younger audience to attract qualified candidates to fill open positions. The challenge: that younger audience, primarily aged 24-45, is on Facebook, but they aren’t so easy to reach anymore. They self-select their information, and their news feeds are filled more and more with targeted advertising. Glenn Burdette needed something that would break through, while appealing to the younger generation in a way that is relevant and entertaining to them. The solution was video.

CPA’s have a reputation of being buttoned-up numbers people, so what better way to stand out when recruits are considering a sea of other firms? Glenn Burdette debuted “The Bean Bag Series,” nine short webisodes featuring a comical look behind the cubicle. The video premier was uploaded to YouTube and Facebook. The result: nearly 1,200 views in 24 hours, and Facebook reach that put the video in front of more than 1,700 people in just one day. That’s 17 times the number of people who have even “liked” Glenn Burdette’s Facebook page, and that’s all organic. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider some studies that show organic post reach is as little as three percent of your fan base.

This case study is far from over, with seven more webisodes to debut this year, but at least one takeaway is clear: get on the video bandwagon, or be prepared to pay-to-play if you want your Facebook posts to reach your audience.